1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of weight lifting apparatus and in particular weight lifting apparatus designed for use in exercises making use of free weights. More particularly this apparatus is designed for use with exercises which bend the knees repeatedly. These are often referred to as deep knee bends and the user can increase the intensity of the exercise by increasing the amount of weight. This has the effect of increasing the stress on the user's shoulders which is necessary in order to intensity the exercise during such deep knee bends but which has the undesirable effect of creating excessive pressure on the back of a user. For this reason the present invention devises a means for further distributing that downward force on the user during such exercises and similar ones.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous patents have been designed for the purposes of increasing the safety of free-weight barbell designs and especially those usable with deep knee bends such as U.S. Pat. No. 460,270 patented to L. B. Somerby on Sep. 29, 1891 on a “Dumb Bell”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,508,567 patented May 23, 1950 to L. G. Dymeck on a “Bar Bell”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,722,419 patented Nov. 1, 1955 to S. Tarapczynski and assigned one-half to Joseph Violante on an “Exercising Device”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,986,314 patented May 30, 1961 to K. G. Miller on a “Carrying Yoke”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,534 patented Sep. 23, 1969 to J. A. Donato on an “Exercise Bar Having Revolvable Arms”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,107 patented to Walter E. Perrine on Jul. 25, 1972 on a “Lifting Yoke”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,781 patented Jun. 28, 1974 to John E. Kane on a “Body Waist Exerciser”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,628 patented Jun. 23, 1981 to Jesse Hoagland on a “Weight Lifting Bar Apparatus”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,222 patented Aug. 12, 1986 to Gary L. Shannon on a “Weightlifting Exercise Bar”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,146 patented Nov. 18, 1986 to Byron R. Jackson on an “Exercise Device”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,836 patented Feb. 10, 1987 to Orville J. Clifton on a “Weight Lifting Apparatus For Exercising The Triceps”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,154 patented Dec. 6, 1988 to Ernest M. Mattox on a “Neck Exercise Device”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,256 patented May 9, 1989 to Suk Young Lee on a “Barbell”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,334 patented May 23, 1989 to Karl I. Mullen on an “Apparatus For Use With Barbells”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,158 patented Sep. 5, 1989 to Daniel R. Tassone on a “Sit-Up Exercise Aid”; and U.S. Pat. No. D320,636 patented Oct. 8, 1991 to Christopher W. Eckler on a “Weightlifting Bar”; and U.S. Pat. No. D327,927 patented Jul. 14, 1992 to Edward Foley on a “Sit-Up Exercise Bar”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,372 patented Dec. 8, 1992 to Armand Tecco on an “Exercise Device”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,244 patented Jun. 22, 1993 to Steven G. Doss on a “Bar Bell”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,287 patented to Anthony Nicoletti on Sep. 28, 1993 on an “Exercise Device”; and U.S. Pat. No. D385,601 patented Oct. 28, 1997 to Samuel Uen and assigned to Chililon Enterprise Co., Ltd. on an “Exerciser”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,461 patented Mar. 10, 1998 to Wayne M. Bogard, II on a “Weight Lifting Apparatus”;